INTERIOR MINISTER TO SKIP RIYADH COUNTERTERRORISM

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000504 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI AND S/CT E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2015 TAGS: PTER PREL KU SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTER TO SKIP RIYADH COUNTERTERRORISM CONFERENCE REF: KUWAIT 284 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission for reasons 1.4 (b) (C) Interior Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister Shaykh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will not attend the February 5-8 Counter-Terrorism Conference in Riyadh. Brigadier General Khalid Al-Athemi, General Manager of Legal Affairs for the Interior Minister will act in his stead. According to Poloff's contact, General Al-Athemi is accompanied by a Kuwait State Security officer with the rank of colonel (NFI). No explanation was given for the Minister's absence although recent MOI actions against terrorist elements in country may have forced Shaykh Nawaf to keep his focus on internal issues. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON